Iron Realms Entertainment - Addicting Gameshttp://www.ironrealms.com/taxonomy/term/1062/0
enShould 'Other' Be a Gender Option in Text Games?http://www.ironrealms.com/other-gender-option-online-games
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<p>&nbsp;It's no secret people with traits considered "different" are more likely victims of bullies. Amongst the most common groups targeted are gays and lesbians. Despite the Internet giving anonymity to some types of bullies, it provides moral support and a feeling of being connected to people with certain traits or lifestyles! In a time when young people are succumbing to pressure from bullies, highly addictive social media groups like Facebook and Twitter proved more reactive than proactive on the topic. Unlike past groups of its type, <a title="Google+" href="http://www.plus.google.com">Google+</a> offers something new and different in regards to gender choice. It offers...the “other” choice. That’s right! Choices include male, female, or other.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;Non-gender specific freedom hasn’t quite made it into our favorite <a title="text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text games</a> from Iron Realms, but respect for gender-based roleplay has always been present. For instance, Lusternia offers the “Bubble of Gender Switching” artifact, which allows players to complete a one-time, permanent gender change. All five text games allow <a title="same sex marriage" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-rpgs-ny-allows-same-sex-marriage-after-text-games">same-sex marriage</a> -- and did it long before the American government began dictating rules for real-life wedding ceremonies! While Achaea doesn’t allow for <a title="same sex couples" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/same-sex-marriage">same-sex</a> couples to bloodline children, Imperian displays bloodlines not only through blood relation, but also through adoption and marriage. Meanwhile over in Lusternia, married couples simply add children to their family after an appropriate period of consideration, all gender aside!</p>
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<p>&nbsp;Real life is finally catching up to Iron Realms in respect to <a title="same sex couples" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games-miniature-worldwide-communities">same-sex couples</a> parenting a child. Soon passports in the UK will ask for details of “Parent 1” and “Parent 2” as opposed to details of “Mother” and “Father.” Normal Wells, (5) director of Family Education Trust, disagreed, “To speak of ‘parent 1’ and ‘parent 2’ denigrates the place of both fathers and mothers. Much as the equality and diversity of social engineers might wish it otherwise, it still takes a father and a mother to produce a child.” Wells has a very good point, genetically speaking, but to raise a child it takes two parents, period...not necessarily one male, and one female.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;When I began playing the <em><a title="addicting games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games">addicting games</a></em> from Iron Realms, I made a bard in Achaea. Another bard in the house called Maria was a satyr. But Maria was not like the other satyr boys -- not just because of his name. Maria spoke in a feminine voice and dressed in feminine clothing -- despite having obvious male traits in his personal description. Two men from a neighboring city found Maria unaware, tied him up, and had their way with him. As a character in the text game, I felt appalled. As a player, I felt torn. Part of me commended the player on the dedication to roleplay the scenario to the end, but the other part of me wondered...why didn’t Maria’s player just type QUIT and come back later?</p>
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<p>&nbsp;When reading about the Google+ <a title="social networking" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/social-networking">social networking</a> platform and its unprecedented decision to offer a third gender option, “other”, &nbsp;for its members, I immediately thought about Maria, and how different his life might’ve been if the same option had existed within the game. Google+ is also adding a <a title="Google+ privacy setting" href="http://www.webpronews.com/google-gender-privacy-more-important-than-grammar-2011-07">privacy setting</a> &nbsp;for gender. I can totally imagine a future artifact item that allows people to hide their gender from anyone looking at their HONOURS line, like the one Achaea offers for characters wishing to hide their age or divorces. If Iron Realms can add new races and classes, then why not a new gender? Would you take advantage of the non-conforming new term? Do you think those who do would be outnumbered by griefers? Answers to these questions and other comments are welcome in the space below.</p>
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<p>Authored by: <a title="Sid Jennings" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/sid-jennings">Sid Jennings</a></p>
<p>Editor: <a title="Mail to Tony Celentano" href="mailto:tony@ironrealms.com">Tony Celentano</a></p>http://www.ironrealms.com/other-gender-option-online-games#commentsAddicting GamesGenderGoogle+PrivacySame Sex MarriageSid JenningsThu, 06 Oct 2011 18:41:25 +0000Aktillum of Achaea535 at http://www.ironrealms.comWorst Careers in the Game Industryhttp://www.ironrealms.com/worst-game-careers
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<p>&nbsp;Just like real life, the text game world would be fantastic if you could become your own boss. In most addicting games, we give up grinding for levels, rather then the daily grind, and try to make gold in more creative ways. So, to help the entrepreneurs of text games, here's the worst self-employment jobs in online games.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>Creating Game Maps for Profit</h4>
<p>&nbsp;Creating&nbsp;<a title="maps" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/maps">maps</a>&nbsp;might sound fun, easy and profitable, but existing&nbsp;<a title="game maps" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/maps">game maps</a>&nbsp;created by good-willed players who charged nothing, freely sharing their works with the game community are the most lauded. Furthermore, game&nbsp;<a title="clients" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/clients">clients</a>&nbsp;today support file transfer from dedicated servers, allowing you to download community&nbsp;<a title="map packs" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/maps">map packs</a>&nbsp;as they become available.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>Online Escort</h4>
<p>&nbsp;You're convinced that "girls have it easier" in text games. Free armour, free&nbsp;<a title="credits" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/category/tags/credits">credits</a>, free ride in the game industry simply for having chest-danglies. So you create a girl character and give her breasts that would garner sympathy from anime characters. You're a sick dude, and you know it. But you're holding the log for blackmail, so we won't tell anyone your secret.</p>
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<h4>Organized Crime</h4>
<p>&nbsp;Protection rackets and online&nbsp;<a title="online drugs" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/online-drugs">game drug</a>&nbsp;rings simply don't work in the text game world. Sure, it'd be fun to roleplay a mobster and throw bricks through shop windows, but you'd probably just get eaten alive by the city guards. And forget turf wars over gleam (an online&nbsp;<a title="game drugs" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/online-drugs">game drug</a>&nbsp;in Achaea), nobody touches the stuff!</p>
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<h4>Selling E-Books in MMORPGs</h4>
<p>&nbsp;Whether you're writing a harvesting guide or a series of&nbsp;<a title="PvP" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/category/tags/PvP">PvP</a>&nbsp;strategy guides, one thing to remember is that piracy is rampant on the internet. Sure, text game communities are smaller, and you might've even heard a few friends say they'd be interested in buying your book. Selling&nbsp;<a title="ebooks" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/ebooks">e-books</a>&nbsp;successfully requires that you build a social network of people willing to review and mention your&nbsp;<a title="ebook" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/ebooks">e-book</a>, and it'd be available on Pastebin by then.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;So, if you're really desperate for a text&nbsp;<a title="careers" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/careers">game&nbsp;career</a>&nbsp;in the game industry, consider starting from the bottom and doing some volunteer work for your favourite game. Guiding newbies, building areas and eventually Celani work will give you the skills necessary to get a leg up in the game industry. Don't forget, Iron Realms has made a habit of hiring their most dedicated, long-term players. No matter what IRE game you play, your producer was an avid fan of IRE games before it became their&nbsp;<a title="careers" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/careers">career</a>!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Authored by&nbsp;<a title="M.K. Barry" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/mk-barry">M.K. Barry</a></p>
<p>Editor:&nbsp;<a title="Mail to Tony@IronRealms.Com" href="mailto:tony@ironrealms.com">Tony Celentano</a></p>
http://www.ironrealms.com/worst-game-careers#commentsAddicting GamesGame CareersGame IndustryJobsLevel designPvPVideogame JobsWed, 05 Oct 2011 20:28:35 +0000Aktillum of Achaea534 at http://www.ironrealms.comZork Inspired Addicting Games by Iron Realmshttp://www.ironrealms.com/zork-inspired-addicting-games-by-iron-realms
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<p><img title="&lt;--break--&gt;" src="/sites/all/modules/wysiwyg/plugins/break/images/spacer.gif" alt="&lt;--break-&gt;" />One summer, my younger brothers introduced me to an addicting game:&nbsp;<a title="Zork" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/zork">Zork</a>, one of the first interactive&nbsp;<a title="text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text adventure games</a>&nbsp;for personal computers. I watched and harassed them each time they missed even one obvious clue! When they challenged me to try, I quickly accepted. Little did I know that typing OPEN MAILBOX would begin a lifelong affair with <a title="text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/zork">text adventure&nbsp;games</a>! Each had the same basic premise. Respond to textual descriptions, whether canned or player directed, by typing commands. Here are the ones that stand out in my memory:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>ZORK</h4>
<p>&nbsp;The birth of interactive fiction,&nbsp;<a title="Play Zork on Iron Realms" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/zork">Zork</a>&nbsp;is the&nbsp;<a title="addicting games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games">addicting game</a>&nbsp;where it all began! Written by some MIT students, the name came from hacker slang meaning “unfinished program.” Not just a&nbsp;<a title="text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text game</a>,&nbsp;<a title="Zork" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/zork">Zork</a>&nbsp;features high quality storytelling and has all the basics -- search for wealth, darling adventure, exotic creatures, diabolical puzzles, and more! Since&nbsp;<a title="Zork" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/zork">Zork</a>&nbsp;became available to the public in 1980, two sequels and a book series followed the Great Underground Empire. Its popularity is such that an original version of&nbsp;<a title="Zork" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/zork-ii-the-wizard-of-frobozz">Zork</a>&nbsp;appeared as a hidden ‘easter egg’ in Call of Duty: Black Ops in November, 2010.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>ADVENTURELAND</h4>
<p>&nbsp;The game packaging read something like this: “You wander through an enchanted world trying to recover the 13 lost treasures...Can you rescue the Blue Ox from the quicksand? Or find your way out of the maze of pits? Happy Adventuring...” On the heels of&nbsp;<a title="Zork" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/category/tags/zork">Zork</a>&nbsp;came Adventureland. Author&nbsp;<a title="Scott Adams website" href="http://www.msadams.com/">Scott Adams</a>&nbsp;(no, not the Dilbert guy) claims he created it in a single month! He broke new ground in the gaming world taking out advertisements and selling Adventureland for use on personal computers. From his first humble retail order of fifty games placed by a Radio Shack in Chicago, Scott Adams went on to found his own company to distribute other addicting games, both new full-scale graphic ones and re-releases of formerly distributed&nbsp;<a title="text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text games</a>!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>ROGUE</h4>
<p>&nbsp;The first computer graphics involved something called “cursor addressing,” allowing programs to put a letters, numbers, and symbols at specific places on the computer screen to simulate graphics. Michael Toy and Glenn Wichman, a pair of students in Santa Cruz, California and no strangers to&nbsp;<a title="addicting games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games-credit-currency">addicting games</a>, used the new program to try to make a new kind of computer game. And thus, Rogue was born! The difference between Rogue and previous&nbsp;<a title="text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-the-10-commandments-of-steve-jobs-applied-to-ire">text games</a>&nbsp;was a lack of canned adventures. Says Wichman in his personal account of the addicting game’s roots, “We decided that with Rogue, the program itself should "build the dungeon", giving you a new adventure every time you played, and making it possible for even the creators to be surprised by the game.”</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>King’s Quest</h4>
<p>&nbsp;Pulling characters from multiple genres of fantasy, players of this addicting game are as likely to run into Rumpelstiltskin as Count Dracula!&nbsp;<a title="Wikipedia - King's Quest" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/King's_Quest">King’s Quest</a>&nbsp;was the first game to really take advantage of the inventory system. Adding to the “take anything that isn’t nailed down” mindset, one player quoted in Wikipedia added, “...if it is nailed down, look for loose nails, or solve the nail-removing puzzle.” The game featured abilities like mapping, and using senses to gather more information! King’s Quest and its sequels boasted elaborate story lines, complicated puzzles, and well-developed denizen characters. Of all early textual games King’s Quest was most like the addicting games produced by&nbsp;<a title="Iron Realms" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/iron-realms">Iron Realms</a>&nbsp;that we know and love today!</p>
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<p>&nbsp;Graphics-heavy games like&nbsp;Gears of War 3&nbsp;are nice, but the re-release and remakes of legendary&nbsp;<a title="addicting games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games">addicting games</a>&nbsp;like the ones above proves that deep down, all players really want are a set of polyhedral dice and some graph paper to choose their own adventures. That’s the beauty of interactive fiction, especially in the form of addicting games produced by&nbsp;<a title="Iron Realms" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/sitemap">Iron Realms</a>!&nbsp;<a title="Massively" href="http://massively.joystiq.com/2011/04/26/the-game-archaeologist-plays-with-muds-your-journeys-part-1/">Massively</a>’s Seth Brown sums it up nicely: “I don't think there can be an easily described favorite memory from the MUD I played predominantly: Lusternia, an Iron Realms Entertainment MUD. I played it for roughly five years nearly every day and the best experiences were often caused by playing in a real, living world rather than a single notable event...if you're looking for a challenge in PvP, play an IRE MUD."</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Penelope Swain is a&nbsp;<a title="text game" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text game</a>&nbsp;enthusiast who enjoys the most addicting games from&nbsp;<a title="Iron Realms" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/iron-realms">Iron Realms</a>!</p>http://www.ironrealms.com/zork-inspired-addicting-games-by-iron-realms#commentsAddicting GamesAdventurelandIron RealmsMassivelyRogueScott AdamsSeth BrownZorkFri, 30 Sep 2011 18:58:44 +0000Aktillum of Achaea533 at http://www.ironrealms.comText Games: The 10 Commandments of Steve Jobs Applied to IREhttp://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-the-10-commandments-of-steve-jobs-applied-to-ire
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<p> Less than two weeks after announcing his resignation as Apple’s CEO, Newsweek magazine published an article titled, “<a title="Steve Jobs 10 Commandments" href="http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/08/28/steve-jobs-his-10-commandments.html">The 10 Commandments of Steve.</a>” Employers everywhere are using the infographic as a suggestion for improving their own business. However, <a title="Iron Realms rpg games" href="http://ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a> has been using the same processes attributed to Steve Jobs’s creative genius since they released Achaea in 1997!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>1. Go for perfect</strong></p>
<p> Iron Realms Entertainment doesn’t expect perfection, but it does hold crafters to a high standard. One Achaea text gamer offered, “It’s crazy! My high school English teachers weren’t this strict. At first it was discouraging. It’s just a dress for my character in a RPG game; so who cares if the grammar is a little off? They care. But their caring has made me care more about how I present myself outside the text game, even on <a title="Iron Realms Facebook page" href="http://www.facebook.com/IronRealms">Facebook</a>!”</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>2. Tap the experts</strong></p>
<p> Iron Realms doesn’t look for outsiders to play <a title="Iron Realms roleplaying games staff play Divine characters" href="http://ironrealms.com/role-playing-games-an-imperian-gods-tale-2011-07-11">Divine characters</a> in their MUDs. Each offers a process that allows text game characters equal chances for promotion, whether stepping into the role of a Guide to help the <a title="rpg game newbie guide" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/mud-newbiehood-a-how-to-guide">newbies</a>, or being elevated to full God status! The result is an administrative team familiar with the basic ins and outs of text game details and mechanics.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>3. Be ruthless</strong></p>
<p> If something isn’t working out, scrap it and move on. The Iron Realms rpg games have followed this practice over the years -- even when a <a title="Achaea rpg game storyline" href="http://drupal.achaea.com/eris-and-babel">Divine Character</a> has run its course! More recently, IRE began testing a <a title="Iron Realms rpg game Digg articles">Digg system</a> to replace its former word-of-mouth advertising via <a title="TopMUDSites text games" href="http://topmudsites.com">TopMudSites</a> (which was bought out by Aardwolf MUD).</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>4. Shun focus groups</strong></p>
<p> Jobs says, “People don’t know what they want until you show it to them.” That doesn’t mean shunning suggestions! Tracking <a title="GamaSutra article &quot;tracking player feedback&quot;" href="http://www.gamasutra.com/view/feature/1546/tracking_player_feedback_to_.php">player feedback</a> lets producers know what’s working, and what needs tweaked. Each of the MUDs associated with Iron Realms Entertainment allows feedback about the text game to be offered through communication not only between players, but also between players and administrators.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>5. Never stop studying</strong></p>
<p> In addition to listening to what players have to say on the forums, they also include a system for reporting bugs, typos, and ideas. A large player base has potential for hundreds, even thousands, of things to be reported daily! The <a title="text game Imperian announce news" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/game/news/Imperian/announce/1650">end result</a> is that Administrators can more easily fix bugs and typos, and perhaps even implement an idea or two!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>6. Simplify</strong></p>
<p> Text. It doesn’t get any more simple! The graphics in Guild Wars might compare to art hanging in the Louvre, but how does inspire the imagination? IRE games are a better choice over graphic MMORPGs because they push text game characters to comprehend the rpg game, making decisions that directly impact <a title="Iron Realms article on creating a character background" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-based-rpgs-your-character-background-in-5-steps">character background</a> and development!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>7. Keep your secrets</strong></p>
<p> <a title="Lusternia mortal builders explanation" href="http://www.lusternia.com/game/helpview/lusternia/mortalbuilder">Mortal Builders</a>, the players assigned with updating current areas and building new ones, are required to sign and provide a hard copy of a nondisclosure agreement. These people agree not to discuss new areas with anyone, neither fellow mortal builders nor Divine characters in the text game!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>8. Keep teams small</strong></p>
<p> Mortal characters in the RPG Achaea can apply to become <a title="rpg game Celani, volunteer staff in training" href="http://drupal.achaea.com/game/helpview/achaea/celani">Celani</a>, a kind of Divine-in-training position. Celani are promoted to Demigods, who in turn can be promoted to full God status! Instead of creating new Divine characters when people are promoted, the administrators promote Demigods into the roles of dormant, current Gods. This allows for clockwork-like operations that <a title="Iron Realms rpg games are free to play" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-the-f-word-controversy-2011-09-05">keep the text game free</a> for everyone!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>9. Use more carrot than stick</strong></p>
<p> People don’t invest in things they don’t like! When the admins are enthusiastic, that feeling trickles down to the players.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>10. Prototype to the extreme</strong></p>
<p> Pre-planning new areas, creating items players will need for various situations, and implementing tools to ease the transition from newbie to advanced text game characters are just a few of the ways IRE helps make their RPG games more player-friendly. One person commented, “I love when a new area opens! Unlike in some other text games, I can play without being distracted by glaring typos or pause my hunting or questing to report a bug.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There’s no doubt that Iron Realms has revolutionized text games. By staying true to an uncomplicated platform they’ve developed a loyal player base that has withstood the test of time!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Penelope Swain is a text game enthusiast who enjoys the best roleplaying games from <a title="Iron Realms roleplaying games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a>!</p>
http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-the-10-commandments-of-steve-jobs-applied-to-ire#comments10 CommandmentsAddicting GamesNewsweekPenelope SwainRPG GamesSteve JobsText GamesMon, 19 Sep 2011 17:38:19 +0000Aktillum of Achaea523 at http://www.ironrealms.comAchaea Promises Deepest PvP Mechanics of any MMOhttp://www.ironrealms.com/achaea-promises-deepest-pvp-mechanics-of-any-mmo
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<!--break-->&nbsp;In the MMORPG&nbsp;<a title="Achaea" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/Achaea">Achaea</a>, the best part of <a title="PvP" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/pvp">PvP</a> is the ease to get into it, as well as the exceedingly high skill-cap which leads to an addictive test of skill and strategy. There are a few concepts you need to understand before you really get started in text game <a title="PvP" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/pvp">PvP</a>; but after that, most of it is self-explanatory and you can let your strategic mind figure out all kinds of new strategies, even to this day -- or just go with the tried-and-true methods many text game <a title="PvP" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/pvp">PvP</a>ers use today.
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<h2><strong>Healing and Curing in PvP</strong></h2>
<p>&nbsp;Achaea has a wonderfully simple system of 'afflictions' -- statuses that prevent your text game character from doing things, or in the case of the 'stupidity' affliction, make you do things you didn't intend to! In contrast to other text games where everything is all about damage, and even 'curses' are merely damage-over-time effects or stuns, Achaea's afflictions can keep you from sipping your health elixir, moving, applying salves, eating herbs, or even flying!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;There are many afflictions, and their cures are almost as numerous. The whole list can be rather overwhelming at first, so there are two options: either develop or purchase a curing 'system' (a set of triggers that help you cure), or learn to manual! While older players may scold those who purchase systems, keep in mind that even the best fighters in the text game use purchased systems. There is nothing wrong with it, so feel free to spend your time enjoying the text game rather than learning to code, if that is your decision!</p>
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<h2><strong>No Turn-Based Combat</strong></h2>
<p>&nbsp;Balances can seem confusing and complex to new text game players, but it's one of the core mechanics of Achaea. Similar to 'cooldowns' in other rpg games, balances control the speed of offense, as well as defense. Simply put, they are timers before you can do something else -- you can't attack without it, and you can't heal without it either. You'll notice at character creation that some races are faster than others (<a title="text game Rajamala race from Achaea" href="http://achaea.com/info/races/rajamala">Rajamalans</a> vs. <a title="text game Troll race from Achaea" href="http://achaea.com/info/races/troll">Trolls</a> for example). Most things that you can do in Achaea require some kind of balance -- for example, KICKing someone requires balance and equilibrium, and uses balance. To see a total list of afflictions you currently suffer, you DIAGNOSE, which requires equilibrium.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>To tame a huge complex beast, here is a rule of thumb: balance and eqiulibrium are for offense, and mostly everything else is for defense.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;Here is a short list:</p>
<p>Elixir balance - Time between sipping health or mana.</p>
<p>Herb balance - Time between eating curative herbs such as 'bloodroot' to cure paralysis.</p>
<p>Salve balance - Time between applying topical salves, such as 'mending' to heal a broken limb.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>Mature PvP Rules</strong></h2>
<p>&nbsp;Now that you have a grasp of the basics, lets slow down a bit. In Achaea, you can't simply go around killing everyone for whatever reason you want -- that's just not the way the world works. There's a whole legal system&nbsp;about what you can and can't do, which can seem rather complex at times. Simply put, you'll be fine if you use common sense and follow this simple rule: don't attack anyone who doesn't attack you first. Until you get a better grasp for the way the world works, this rule will keep you from getting in trouble.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>Hardcore PvP Death Isn't Permanent</strong></h2>
<p>&nbsp;In Achaea, death is part of the game. Not going to lie to you, you're going to die a lot, but you'll get used to it. Many characters die at least a thousand or more times by the time they're 100, which is perfectly normal! However, if you want to learn <a title="PvP" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/pvp">PvP</a>, you're going to need to start dissecting your deaths (ha!).&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Here's a simple process I used as I was learning text game combat:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<ul>
<li>Question yourself. Why did I die? Was I unable to sip health elixir? Did someone roar in triumph and chop my head off? Did my health reach 0?&nbsp;</li>
<li>Figure out how to avoid that in the future. A troll monk hit me for 1700 damage? Run! Am I unable to sip health? Diagnose and cure! Did he chop my head off? Run!</li>
</ul>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>You're probably going to die to damage often until you're around level 70 (don't worry! That doesn't take long.) and you're probably going to die to afflictions until you learn proper curing.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h2><strong>Item Mall Not Strictly Cash</strong></h2>
<p>&nbsp;You're going to need to transcend at least one of your <a title="text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text game</a> skills, preferably two. You'll need about 1,700 lessons to transcend a skill, but have no fear! Starting out in Achaea is easier than ever, here are a few ways:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>a. The fastest way to acquire credits is to buy them. This supports the text game and helps keep it here -- it's best (for you) to buy during credit sales, especially if you're buying 200+.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>b. The most cost-effective way to acquire credits is to use the wonderful Iron Elite subscription, which is just $25 for 100+ credits, an experience bonus, and daily lessons. It is an absolutely fantastic bargain, and a great way to support Achaea (while supporting yourself, as well).</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>c. Feeling creative? Enter the Bardic and Artisanal competitions! This is the world of poets, artists, story-tellers and more.&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>d. Tell your friends! <a title="Invite your friends" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-maximize-your-credit-report">Invite your friends </a>using the Iron Realms Facebook app, and you can get up to ten credits a day for every friend you invite. Not only is Achaea one of those text games that is more fun with more players, it's one of those text games where you just may end up playing for years on end -- and what can be better than sharing that with your friends?</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>In closing, keep in mind that the <a title="PvP" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/pvp">PvP</a> in Achaea has a tremendously high skill cap, and it is a <a title="text game" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text game</a> where literally anything is possible. You just may be the next person to develop the incredible strategy everybody in your class starts using, and everybody else changes class just to use it. Or maybe you will be the next person everybody in your city (and most other cities) look to when they need somebody dead. The great part of Achaea is the simple unrivaled potential -- never be afraid to take the first step.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Rean Moliuvia is an online <a title="PvP" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/pvp">PvP</a>er who enjoys dominating the competition on <a title="Iron Realms text games" href="http://ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a>!</p>http://www.ironrealms.com/achaea-promises-deepest-pvp-mechanics-of-any-mmo#commentsAddicting GamesAttacksItem MallMMORPGPvPRean MoliuviaTurn-BasedFri, 16 Sep 2011 17:49:00 +0000Aktillum of Achaea522 at http://www.ironrealms.comText Games: Dealing With Virtual Bullieshttp://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-dealing-with-virtual-bullies
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<p>“Sticks and stones will break my bones, but names’ll never hurt me.” This bears scant truth for victims of bullies. Despite how strong victims appears in public, it still hurts inside. If you think it doesn’t apply to you, read on. Everyone is a potential victim! Even in <em>addicting games</em>, bullies threaten others as a way to deal with their own inadequacies.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Who is likely to become a victim? Ironically, the same people who are likely to become bullies! Race, religion, sexual orientation, distinguishing features...and anything else that can label a person as being different from everyone else. Bullying can happen both in private and public...and even in your favorite Iron Realms RPG game!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Types of Bullies in Text Games</strong></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;There are as many bully types as there are victims. It can happen to any type of character in a <a title="text game" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/choosing-an-ire-rpg-game-2011-08-29">text game</a>! The primary types are physical, who attack tangibly, and emotional, who attack mentally.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;Some physical RPG bullies are tanky <a title="PvP" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/pvp">PvP</a> combat junkies with a pre-purchased system to provide an extra edge over the competition. But some take cyber bullying outside the game environment, in technological ways. Said one <a title="text game" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text game</a> player, “I posted a video of myself doing a USB-controller build with custom drivers. I’m overweight, and smoke. Naturally, the <a title="trolls" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/trolls">trolls</a> found me. They made parodies of my video, with fairly cruel impressions. It was enough to make me remove the video and post the build in text-form elsewhere without the visual benefit.” This blow was no less painful than a physical punch.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;Another loyal IRE text game player offered, “My character accepted her Prince Charming’s marriage proposal. But I spent days after logging in to dozens of whiney messages from his ex. I finally snubbed her and she did move on; but reading those every day was draining! I log into the <a title="text game" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text game</a> from various remote locations, and hated dealing with that day in an day out.” Fortunately, all five Iron Realms text games offer a way to ignore players! In Aetolia the command is literally IGNORE to stop paying attention to someone, while in the other rpg games it is SNUB.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Emotional bullies, or '<a title="griefers" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/griefers">griefers</a>', work behind the scenes. Whether creating clans to gossip or lacing hate speech into otherwise normal conversations with the victim, this bully is a miserable soul. When asked about his experience, another player replied: “They are relentless! I had serious problems with someone in another text game before finding IRE. One bully harassed me no matter what I did, unprovoked. Even if I was in safe chat mode! I made an alt just to escape being attacked. Yeah, I could’ve reported it. But it was easier to just start over.”&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3><strong>Responding to Bullies in Text Games</strong></h3>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>So how can you defend yourself against bullies? Whether in real life or an RPG game, the <a title="WikiHow dealing with bullies" href="http://www.wikihow.com/Deal-With-Different-Types-of-Bullies">methods</a>&nbsp;for standing up for yourself against bullies can be similar.</p>
<p>- Talk to someone you trust. In an IRE text game, it could be someone in leadership, your family mentor.</p>
<p>- If possible, keep a copy of the details outside the game of each event of bullying. Should it need to be reported, documentation outside the game provides additional credibility to back up your claims.</p>
<p>- Report them. Don’t assume you’ll come off sounding like a tattling child from primary school. Administrators are meticulous in their record-keeping. Just because you don’t see Them, doesn’t mean that They don’t see you -- or that They haven’t punished the bully!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Bullies exist. It doesn’t make it right, but remember, it can always be worse. As one player stated, “For years in my old game, I was bullied by a high-ranking person with a history of purchasing loads of extras. My friends and I were low-levels without the bonus features. We reported him, but nothing happened. I left and didn’t look back. With IRE...it’s different. Fair policies apply equally to everyone. Once when I was a newbie, someone picking on me got punished. I feel like IRE cares about me as a player and it makes me want to invest in credits. I’m not paying to play the game. I’m making an investment in my character’s future.”</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Penelope Swain is a text game enthusiast who enjoys the best rpg games from <a title="Iron Realms text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a>!</p>http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-dealing-with-virtual-bullies#commentsAddicting GamesGriefersPenelope SwainText GamesTrollsWed, 14 Sep 2011 15:27:41 +0000Aktillum of Achaea521 at http://www.ironrealms.comText Games: an Imperian God's Tale VIhttp://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-an-imperian-gods-tale-vi
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<p>Many of you have asked in the comments to run through what a typical day as a God is like. Although I have to admit that I do not have a typical day, I do have several things that I tend to run through at least once a day.</p>
<p>To start off, I attempt to log in at least once a day to check on things. This gets more difficult when life gets chaotic, but even just a quick peek in to see what is going on tends to be something I do when I wake up, or shortly before I go to bed. Once I have checked in, I run through the following list of tasks.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Check OWHO, CONGWHO, BW</strong></p>
<p>I have to see who is online. First I check to see which of my <a title="join a text game Order" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/rpg-games-5-reasons-to-join-an-order-in-imperian">Order members</a> are around, then to see if there are any Congregants, and finally to see who is online in the entire text game. Why? If I am looking for a specific person, I usually mark or ally them so their name pops out. I also might see someone that my text game Order has been working to recruit, or a new Congregant to check in on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Check News</strong></p>
<p>Although text game news is sometimes slow going in <a title="Imperian rpg game" href="http://www.imperian.com">Imperian</a>, I always check to see what news there is. Even if it is not directly related to my role, I still look to see what is going on. I tend to read through all posts because being detached from the text game as Divine sometimes are, short of spying on players to figure out what is going on in the text game world, I have to rely on the news to which I have access.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Check Logs</strong></p>
<p>After I have seen who is around, I go through and check the logs of all the orgs I am involved in, starting with my own of course. I look for dropped shrines (and try to figure out where they were), new members to the Congregation, and anyone who left so I can sick Order members on them to find out why. This has helped me to find out when there have been people in my Order being abusive or neglectful towards Congregants or other Order members, so it is important that I keep an eye out for people leaving suddenly and without explanation.</p>
<p>After I check on my order, I go through and check the logs of my organizations. Like news, this allows me to bridge some of the detachment that comes from being a text game God. I can see pieces of how the organization is interacting with itself, as well as how it is interacting with the outside world. After I am finished checking in on the world, I look at the things I have been working on.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Check to see where I left off on projects</strong></p>
<p>Projects keep us busy and give us something to do. We do not have to take on projects once we get our God-roles, we can choose to focus on our Orders and organizations. However, sometimes that can be slow going, so we will take on building or role play projects to fill in some of the blank spots. So, if I have been working on any projects, role play or anything else, I review what I did the day or days before so that it stays fresh in my memory and I don't put off finishing it for too long, in theory.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Look to see where people are</strong></p>
<p>After I have caught up and refreshed my memory, I start looking around for where people are. I look for people that are known to interact when role play is presented to them, and I look for new players because they are interesting to see how they react to role play. After I have looked around, I go to populated areas and chill out all hidden to see if the opportunity presents itself to jump into the action.</p>
<p>Populated text game areas are great places to go and see if there is a city guard, or pet, or other type of mobile to take over. If it is not a generic mobile like a guard, I look through the history of other people interacting with the mobile to see what has been previously done with that specific NPC. For instance, if it is a named NPC, I look to see how they speak, if anyone gave it an accent, etc. I try to simulate that as much as possible to keep the mobile's behavior consistent. If it is a generic text game mobile like a guard, or a pet, I might briefly check to see if anyone has interacted specifically with that mobile, but I have more freedom over deciding what they are capable of doing in most cases.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Go back to my little Godroom and do other forms of work</strong></p>
<p>After I have finished causing chaos by making text game <a title="why virtual pets are better than real pets article" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-adventure-games-why-virtual-pets-are-better-real-pets">pets</a> fight with each other, or having city guards heckle members of the general public, I go back to my own little spot of God heaven and work on other things, my need for amusement satiated for a time. While there I can work on building projects, planning out role play events, or harassing my Order members.</p>
<p>There are other things that I see to as a God in the text based game Imperian, but these are the ones that I find myself repeating most often. Lather, rinse and repeat as necessary, and that would be a "typical" day for me.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Megan Elizabeth is a text game enthusiast who enjoys the best role playing games from <a title="Iron Realms website" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a>!</p>
http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-an-imperian-gods-tale-vi#commentsAddicting GamesMegan ElizabethRole PlayingText GamesVideogame CareersSun, 11 Sep 2011 22:28:08 +0000Aktillum of Achaea520 at http://www.ironrealms.comRPG Games: Playing Without Powerhttp://www.ironrealms.com/rpg-games-playing-without-power
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<p>In the span of a single weekend, Hurricane Irene swept across the eastern coastline of the United States, leaving million of Americans <a title="Hurricane Irene aftermath" href="http://articles.cnn.com/2011-08-29/us/irene.aftermath_1_flood-stages-river-crests-power-outages?_s=PM:US">without power</a> or a stable cellular connection. Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor hail can keep loyal gamers away from their favorite role playing games in times of disaster, even if just to keep others apprised! In the RPG game <a title="rpg game Imperian" href="http://www.imperian.com">Imperian</a>, the person behind Dranor, God of Imagination was one of these people. Despite lack of a reliable internet source, he managed to enter the realm long enough to create a news post informing others of his situation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Less than a week before Irene’s unwelcome visit, an earthquake registering 5.8 on the Richter scale not only rocked the nation’s capital but also muddled <a title=" why didn&#039;t cellphones work during earthquake" href="http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0811/62015.html">cellphone reception</a> and other manners of technological communication. More importantly, it left online rpg gamers within those areas without a convenient way to check in with their friends in <a title="Iron Realms rpg games" href="http://ironrealms.com/game/select">Iron Realms</a> rpg games via their cellphones. If a national disaster wipes out power in your area, could you survive without logging into your favorite Iron Realms Entertainment game to check messages, read organizational logs, or just catch up on the latest gossip? I know I sure couldn’t!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>PHONE APPS</strong></p>
<p>Thanks to the MUD <a title="Iron Realms rpg android app" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/mud-android-app-iron-realms-games">Android app</a> for Iron Realms role playing games, players who own these devices no longer require a computer and a full internet connection to log into their favorite RPG game. Other apps like <a title="rpg game phone app" href="http://www.appbrain.com/app/blowtorch-mud-client/com.happygoatstudios.bt">Blowtorch</a> for Android, <a title="iphone PocketMUD" href="http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocket-mud/id403989713?mt=8">PocketMUD</a> for iPhone, and others also allow players to log into the rpg game. Depending on the type of app, you can get everything from basic game access to more <a title="rpg game coding for true newbies" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/online-role-playing-games-coding-for-the-true-newbie-vol-1">complex aliases and triggers</a>. If you can access the internet on your phone, try logging into the Iron Realms Entertainment website where you can stay up-to-date on messages and news boards without having to actually log into the games!</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>PORTABLE COMPUTERS</strong></p>
<p>Whether it’s called a laptop, netbook, macbook, or any other trendy trademarked term, these devices can hold a battery charge lasting eight hours or better, and that’s plenty of gaming time! Thanks to coffee shops and fast food restaurants, depending on the size of the town where you live there could be a <a title="find wifi hotspots" href="http://v4.jiwire.com/search-hotspot-locations.htm">wifi hotspot</a> on every corner. That’s especially useful if the establishment is running a generator or if it’s in a section of town that still has electricity. If this isn’t available to you and you’re really desperate, some smart phones now feature the ability to act as a <a title="mobile hotspot phone" href="http://blog.laptopmag.com/what%E2%80%99s-the-best-mobile-hotspot-phone">mobile hotspot</a>, allowing you to tap in for optimal RPG game access during times of trouble.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>FRIENDS AND FAMILY</strong></p>
<p>Power outages are the perfect times to evacuate your current residence and drop in on friends and family; especially ones forced to work long hours and leave their computer or wireless router unattended. If they really love you, they will want you to be safe, and happy, even if it means letting you leech wifi to play your favorite RPG games until it’s safe to return to your own home. If they act grouchy after watching you <a title="crazy signs of rpg game addiction" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-those-crazy-signs-of-addiction-2011-07-25">stare at your computer screen</a> for a day or two, don’t worry. They’re just jealous of the solid connection you’ve formed with your online <a title="rpg friends and family article" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/online-text-adventures-five-things-to-do-before-joining-a-family">friends and virtual family</a>.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>There are a lot of technical terms associated with the internet and power outages, like infrastructure and smart grids, but who has time to learn about that? What truly matters is that you can connect to your favorite Iron Realms Entertainment RPG games! Hopefully the next time the lights go out, you can stay plugged into all the latest happenings. And if all else fails, sit down with a pencil and a piece of paper and write out some <a title="rpg game character background" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-based-rpgs-your-character-background-in-5-steps">background</a> about your role playing game character. When the power comes back, you’ll be completely refreshed, totally ready for a new and exciting <a title="Iron Realms role play adventures" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/online-rpgs-getting-back-into-roleplay">roleplay</a>ing game adventure!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Penelope Swain is a text game enthusiast who enjoys the best role playing games from <a title="Iron Realms website" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a>!</p>
http://www.ironrealms.com/rpg-games-playing-without-power#commentsAddicting GamesAndroidHurricane IrenePenelope SwainRole PlayingRPG GamesWed, 07 Sep 2011 19:01:53 +0000Aktillum of Achaea517 at http://www.ironrealms.comMMORPGs: The Controversy of the 'F' Word (Free)http://www.ironrealms.com/mmorpgs-the-controversy-of-the-f-word-free
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<p> Free-to-play or "F2P" MMOs in the modern era are becoming more common with the multitude of <a title="Flash game" href="http://www.kongregate.com/games/IronRealms/iron-realms">Flash game</a> and social network websites. You can invite your <a title="Facebook" href="http://apps.facebook.com/ironrealms/?ref=ts">Facebook</a> friends, all through easy to click buttons. What most people don't realise, however, is that the F2P platform is not a new concept; It's actually an old concept by societies lax standards!</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Iron Realms has been putting out free-to-play MMORPGs for 14 years (Achaea's birth celebration marked this month!). The free game environment first attracts those with very little in their household entertainment budget. The ongoing war of 'most entertainment for my money' continues to burn deep in any serious gamer..</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Where <a title="video games versus f2p mall items" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/the-real-cost-of-f2p-mmo-item-malls-versus-p2p">video games</a> can be bought for $30 dollars for half as many hours of entertainment and sometimes great replay value, sometimes not. The Iron Realms community has built the most successful social system I can think of in modern times. They host, develop, interact, and painstakingly supply a sustained superior customer service in recent years, all for the cost of the average player of $0. This is not a free trial in your dream <a title="role playing" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/role-playing">role playing</a> game environment, it's just how it is.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Iron Realms realised early the dream was not to become rich from developing MMORPGs with a subscription-based model; it was to provide a strong role playing environment for players to live fascinating second lives, be it as a merchant or combatant and everything in between. They had to pay the bills though and decided to offer advantageous rewards for willing to help donate to keep the lights on. Players could purchase any number of these rewards to get stronger, or to make their lives easier. While people unable to donate could be just as strong or make their lives just as easy, they just need to be more creative, become more of an active participant in the <a title="role playing" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/role-playing">role playing</a> games.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The economic system in Iron Realms games works in such a way that the less fortunate, or those who are not willing to spend their hard earned cash on a video game, can still play and enjoy the exact same opportunities without favoritism either way. Many people without the advantages gained by spending real life money have reached max level, become a respective combatant, and have went on to lead great organizations through triumphant times. Where the same ends were available to them, they just went about reaching it in different ways.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Some people will argue that to get ahead in Iron Realms role playing games you must be willing to put in X amount of <a title="dollars" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/online-text-based-games-and-inflation-gold-versus-dollar">dollars</a>. These people are normally short sighted and do not maintain a 'can-do' attitude. We run into the same people in life who wish they could be faster, without training, wish they could make more money, with less effort.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>This unique economic system balances a place where those who donate and those who don't are equally important to the world environment in all facets. Because you log into an Iron Realms rpg game to play a character and be immersed in a fictitious world and everyone allowed and encouraged to give less or more. All sorts of people drive these worlds to a lucrative success over the more shallow-minded, virus-laden, 'social' - network attempts at depth entertainment.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Ben Bridged is a <a title="text game" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text game</a> enthusiast who enjoys the best role playing games from Iron Realms!</p>
http://www.ironrealms.com/mmorpgs-the-controversy-of-the-f-word-free#commentsAddicting GamesBen BridgedF2PFlashFreefree-to-playMMORPGRole PlayingRPG Gamesvideo gamesMon, 05 Sep 2011 17:02:18 +0000Aktillum of Achaea516 at http://www.ironrealms.comWhy Social Games Are Missing Out on the Dual Currency Subscriptionhttp://www.ironrealms.com/why-social-games-are-missing-out-on-the-dual-currency-subscription
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<p> A few years ago, Jeremy Liew asked Iron Realms CEO <a title="interview with rpg CEO Matt Mihaly" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/online-muds-interview-matt-mihaly-ceo-iron-realms">Matt Mihaly</a> to guest post on his blog. The article, titled "<a title="Jeremy Liew blog guest writer Matt Mihaly virtual currencies" href="http://lsvp.wordpress.com/2008/02/06/using-dual-currency-systems-is-the-best-way-to-sell-virtual-goods/">Using dual currency systems is the best way to sell virtual goods</a>", gives an incredible look at how the gold / credit economy is balanced behind the scenes. Since that time, a third currency has been introduced to IRE text games and other markets have taken up virtual currencies. There are even virtual currency <a title="virtual currency consultants" href="http://mashable.com/2009/03/10/twofish/%20">consultants</a>!</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Popular Facebook game 'Farmville' has two currencies - Farm Cash and coins. You can earn coins through sales of various products, but aside from small amounts of Farm Cash you 'earn' by clicking their sponsors, you have to buy Farm Cash from Zynga with real cash. It seems they haven’t yet learned what Matt Mihaly discovered nearly 12 years ago, namely the importance of monetizing all factions of the user base. Or, they see the possibility and would rather <a title="popular game business models" href="http://jdphan.wordpress.com/2010/04/22/currency-exchange-the-best-monetization-method/">force people to spend money</a> on their game and not worrying the risk of disenchanting some users.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> In their article, "<a title="virtual dual currency increases revenue" href="http://www.insidesocialgames.com/2009/10/16/using-dual-currency-systems-for-better-revenues-and-engagement/">Using Dual-Currency Systems for Better Revenues and Engagement</a>", Matt McAllister and Jaini Shah of Offerpal Media offer four scenarios for using virtual currency. They also talk about the value added by non-paying customers, through word of mouth, participation and the possibility of becoming paying customers if they care about the game or site. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> At Iron Realms, using McAllister and Shah’s descriptions, scenario four is used. It is the most liberal, least controlled scenario. In every IRE text game, two currencies (credits and gold coins) are used which people can buy and sell freely, publically and on a faceless credit market. You can use real life cash to buy credits if you wish, but you can also work in game to earn gold to buy credits. They also advise checking in on the systems and balancing as necessary, which IRE did when it offered ships for sale for gold only.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> To me, it seems like Farmville is suffering from the two tier system that <a title="Achaea - award winning rpg" href="http://www.achaea.com">Achaea</a> experienced in 1998, which is permanent second-class citizens. Imagine if they unlocked the latent pent-up demand that exists among their non-paying users as Achaea did in 1999!</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Iron Realms is consistently far ahead in virtual currency innovation. Each Iron Realms game recently had a third currency added; depending on which you play, they're called crowns, dingbats, tokens, or black iron coins. The market of this premium currency has been fun to track. The first 'crown' sold for around 10 credits; now, one is hard pressed to find one for 40 credits. During this introduction, the price of credits has increased as well. True to the lessons learned, IRE has provided items that can only be bought for these premium virtual currencies, and they are in true demand. Premium virtual currencies can only be gained through a credit sale promotion, prizes for in-game contests, bought from another player, or as part of a monthly elite membership in some IRE games.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> The brilliance shown here is amazing. What is your slowest financial month? Offer a premium currency promotion with increasing numbers of amounts awarded for increasing amounts of real money spent. Spike it even higher with new offerings of virtual goods that can only be purchased with premium currency. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> It seems to this writer like Farmville could learn a thing or two from IRE, the seasoned experts in virtual currency. 1) Set up a market for buying cash with coins. 2) Don’t regulate it, allow users to interact and sell to each other. 3) Allow for conversion between currencies. 4) Introduce a premium currency, with its own fabulous items that are only accessible with that currency.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>So can a niche MUD teach a mega-hit social game a thing or two? Perhaps they can.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Beth E. is a virtual currency economist who enjoys the best role playing games from <a title="Iron Realms website" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a>!</p>
http://www.ironrealms.com/why-social-games-are-missing-out-on-the-dual-currency-subscription#commentsAddicting GamesBeth E.dual currencyFarmvilleMatt MihalyRole PlayingText GamesVirtual economyWed, 31 Aug 2011 17:24:14 +0000Aktillum of Achaea514 at http://www.ironrealms.comRole Playing Games: Choosing an Iron Realms Gamehttp://www.ironrealms.com/role-playing-games-choosing-an-iron-realms-game
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<p>Iron Realms has, to date, <a title="top 5 role playing games" href="http://lusternia.com/text-games-five-of-the-best">five games</a> eligible for play, and another <a title="Tears of Polaris rpg forums" href="http://forums.tearsofpolaris.com/">in the making</a>. Although each of these <em>addicting games</em> have a fantasy theme to them, there are some significant differences between the games that may affect your rpg play style completely. Having been someone who has a permanent character on each game, save one, I have had a lot of time to think about good advice for anyone who is interested in trying out a new Iron Realms text game.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Know the "theme."</strong></p>
<p>Each of the games tends to have at least one major "theme" behind it. For instance, <a title="Imperian role playing game" href="http://www.imperian.com">Imperian</a> is the battle between the forces of magick, anti-magick and demonic, whereas <a title="award winning rpg Achaea" href="http://achaea.com">Achaea</a> seems to go the route of the more traditional good versus evil. Learning the theme, or the ultimate idea behind an online game will help with transitioning to a new game, as well as help in character building. If you go into a game where the debate of good vs. evil is unrelated raving about how you are evil incarnate, you'll probably get some weird looks from any organization you attempt to go to. The "themes" behind each rpg game also have a huge affect on organizations, how players act, and my next point, the history behind the games themselves.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Get to know the history.</strong></p>
<p>Each of the Iron Realms games has a rich history that has had an effect on how the current world works. From the creation of the Gods to the creation of the mortal races, how a City was founded or how certain powers came to be, there are many different things that player's can use to help them build a background. Not only can it help you <a title="creative ways to role play" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/online-rpgs-getting-back-into-roleplay">develop a background</a> for your character, but it might be able to help you narrow down your choices on what Organizations you want to be involved in, which leads me to my next point of advice.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Learn about the organizations.</strong></p>
<p>Cities, Guilds (or Houses), Councils, Orders, Families, Clans... there are a lot of rpg organizations out there! Look on the <a title="Midkemia Online rpg website" href="http://www.midkemiaonline.com">website</a> of the <a title="role playing game Aetolia" href="http://www.aetolia.com">text game</a> of your choice and see what sorts of information can be found. Start with Cities or Councils, depending on your game, and see what they have to offer, this will help you narrow down your search. From there, see what Guilds or Houses they support, and what Classes (or Professions) each of those allow. Once you have an idea of what you want to work towards, you can look into learning more or start setting up your character. Choosing a City/Council first in some rpg games can help narrow down most of your choices for all other organizations. For instance, if you decide you want to belong to the city of Stavenn in Imperian, that limits your choices of Guilds down to about five, your choice of Divine also to five, and there is a good chance you will or will not be able to belong to certain Clans, Families, etc.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p><strong>Learn about the players.</strong></p>
<p>This one is a little tricky. The best way to go about learning about the other players is to just jump into the rpg game and see how they react to each other. An example of this would be that <a title="Aetolia role playing game" href="http://www.aetolia.com">Aetolia</a> is the only IRE game that I do not have a permanent character on. So, at the request of a friend, I rolled one up and checked the rpg game out, wanting to get to know the play-style typical to most players before I decided if I wanted to actually stick around. I was amazed at the detail that goes into the emotes and the role play some people participate in! It is impressive, but wasn't what I was looking for at 2 A.M. on a weeknight, so I lurked, learned and came back to build a character to keep later.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Another way to possibly go about learning about the players behind the game would be to check the rpg game's forums. Do this with caution, and take everything you read with a grain of salt! Often times players go to forums because it gives them an avenue to express when they are frustrated, so it can appear that the role playing game, or the players, aren't worth getting into. There can be good things on the forums, however. If you're interested in role play, see if there is a section for that you can look through to see other people's experiences. Likewise with combat and general information. These are just two ideas that can help you get to know the players and their play-style in the role playing game you're interested in trying.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>These are probably not the only things that you can do to start to ease the transition into a new online text based rpg. What other advice can you give to players who want to attempt the migration from one <a title="Iron Realms rpg games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a> game to another?&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Megan Elizabeth is a text game enthusiast who enjoys the best rpg games from <a title="Iron Realms rpg games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a>!</p>http://www.ironrealms.com/role-playing-games-choosing-an-iron-realms-game#commentsAddicting GamesGuildsIron RealmsMegan ElizabethMon, 29 Aug 2011 21:46:12 +0000Aktillum of Achaea512 at http://www.ironrealms.comTop 5 Console Gamers' Excuses for Not Trying Sandbox MMOshttp://www.ironrealms.com/top-5-console-gamers-excuses-for-not-trying-sandbox-mmos
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<p>Every now and then, I wish I knew more people in real life who played the same fantasy MMORPG games I do, so I could sit and have a drink with them while I play. Not that gaming alone keeps me from drinking, but that's not the point! So, every now and then I try to get some people to play sandbox MMOs. However, when I try this, most of the responses are; </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Reading Isn't Fun</strong></p>
<p>Seriously, this should be the biggest excuse to play text adventure games, because then you can say, "No, I'm not playing <a title="diedagain mmo and rpg games" href="http://www.diedagain.com/">video games</a>, I'm reading!". I've found that playing text games has exponentially improved my spelling, grammar, and vocabulary. Why don't people want to read for their fun? I call it laziness! Get your eyes off those darned fancy graphics, and start playing some text games! They're good for you and well worth the effort of reading. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>You Mean Those Forum Games?</strong></p>
<p>In forum role playing games, you <a title="rpg game customization" href="http://www.lusternia.com/text-game-vs-graphic-game-all-about-customization">write up a self description</a>, and interact with other players via forum posts. Normally, here is where you get hackneyed plots, the all too perfect, beautiful characters, and the convoluted bloodlines that result in a character having every power imaginable, and being immortal. Yes, this is a breeding ground for <a title="rpg Mary Sues" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/rpg-games-pursuit-of-the-sue">Mary Sues</a>. Enough said here, I think. People mistakenly associate them with MUDs, as they're both text based. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>How Can You PvP?</strong></p>
<p>Maybe I just really hate forum games, but I'm going to blame them for this. In a forum text game, combat boils down to "Lol, I kill you with my sword!", "Nu, you can't! I can't be damaged by normal weapons!" Ok, maybe it's not the fault of the forums games alone, but in short, people think text based roleplaying game means that the characters emote all the attacks. Apparently, it's hard to imagine a text game with pre-set attacks for different classes, and damage done <a title="rpg character stats" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/online-text-adventures-the-perils-of-min-maxing">based on stats</a> towards a numeric total health. Such a thing must require at least 8-bit graphics to function, right?! </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>The Text Scrolls Too Fast!</strong></p>
<p>I'll give a little merit to this excuse. For most, the text is what threw you off when you played your very first MUD. Honestly, it is a lot to take in all at once, especially if you believe you have to read everything. You quickly lose conversations, and your first view of combat makes your eyes bleed. However, after playing for a short time, you quickly learn what you actually need to read, and that most of that is color coded, for your convenience and sanity! So, my advice to my friends about this issue it really just to give the text game some time, and the text won't be bad at all. It'll still make your eyes bleed, just not for long, and it's well worth the pain in the end. </p>
<p> </p>
<p><strong>Where's the Graphics?</strong></p>
<p>When I show a friend a text-based MMORPG, they take one look at the text, and ask, "where are the pictures?"; when I explain that there are none, they shake their head, back away and say, "oh, no thanks, I like to <a title="rpg character creation" href="http://www.lusternia.com/text-game-vs-graphic-game-all-about-customization">see my character</a>." For them I have only one response… "Where's your imagination?! didn't you ever read a book as a kid?" I mean, seriously. What happened when we were all kids, and we were encouraged to imagine things? Read something, close your eyes and visualize it? I mean, sure, you actually have to use that thinking muscle in your skull called a brain but I assure you, a forest will be much cooler in your mind, then it will be in a game where the "forest" is the same tree in 200 different nearby spots. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>So yeah, it's hard to convert people to the text based side of the gaming world. If games were food, text-based MMORPGs are like sushi. They're really really great, but the idea of what it actually is is scary and strange to people who don't' want to harden up and try it out. And if they're too chicken, or too lazy to give MUDS a chance, well, at least I have my online friends ( They're people too!)</p>
<p> </p>
<p>M.K. Barry is a text-based MMORPG enthusiast who enjoys the best role playing games from <a title="Iron Realms rpg games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a>!</p>
http://www.ironrealms.com/top-5-console-gamers-excuses-for-not-trying-sandbox-mmos#commentsAddicting GamesM.K. BarrymmoMMORPGSandboxFri, 26 Aug 2011 21:25:04 +0000Aktillum of Achaea511 at http://www.ironrealms.comText RPGs: NY Allows Same Sex Marriage - After Text Gameshttp://www.ironrealms.com/text-rpgs-ny-allows-same-sex-marriage-after-text-games
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<p>by Shay Andrew
</p>
<p> As a New Yorker, I have a lot to <a title="text game gay marriage" href="http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2011/06/30/2082621/ny-same-sex-marriage-legalization.html">celebrate</a>. I am in what I consider to be the best region of the country, I am usually only a drive away from one of the biggest and most culturally-stimulating cities in America, and I am now allowed to get <a title="new york gay marriage" href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/25/nyregion/gay-marriage-approved-by-new-york-senate.html">married</a>. Fortunately, thanks to IRE online rpgs, the idea of gay marriage wasn’t always a distant dream. I’ve been 'out' to my friends and family for several years, and for nearly all of them, my male online characters have created and sustained happy marriages with other males.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Being gay has always been somewhat of a heavy cross to bear (pardon my pun). As a scrawny boy of 14, my fear of being judged, <a title="gay assaults" href="http://articles.cnn.com/2011-06-29/justice/massachusetts.hate.crime_1_gay-man-crime-charges-civil-rights-violation?_s=PM:CRIME">attacked</a>, or otherwise downtrodden in some malign way for what something I couldn’t control was sometimes crippling. It’s difficult to be social, and more pressingly, confident in order to BECOME social, when this unwelcome pall of society-based, forced inadequacy looms like a rain cloud in every social situation. Being gay in a very straight world was very hard, and to be frank, is still hard sometimes. I could shock you with some of my stories, but that’s another topic for another time...</p>
<p> </p>
<p> It wasn’t all bad, of course; I had, and still have, lots of friends who support me. Now that New York is welcoming the production of same sex marriages, my pride in my state is swelling even larger for all the decisions it’s making, and I sincerely believe that I can count on more forthcoming positive change. The struggle is certainly becoming less all-encompassing. However, despite where I am now, and despite the warm and welcoming crew I had growing up, I still believe that my experiences in the Iron Realms helped me hold out for a brighter future that, until just a month ago, seemed highly unlikely.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> I remember signing onto my first ever online role playing game character in <a title="aetolia tarpen image" href="http://ironrealms.com/image/tarpen-necromancer">Aetolia</a> for the third or fourth time. I was standing at the popular “hang-out,” North of Thera, when all of a sudden, two men came strolling by, laughing about their impending marriage. Perplexed, I followed them as <a title="online rpgs stealth" href="http://ironrealms.com/online-text-rpgs-all-theft-in-moderation">stealthily</a> as a text game vampire could, and tried to listen to their conversation.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> They noticed me, of course, and though I was the undead and they were members of Shallam (FYI: for those of you who are just now tuning into Aetolia, have never tuned into Aetolia, or just plain don’t really care to ever play Aetolia [even though you should!], Shallam, which is now Enorian, hates vampires because they’re the City of Light), they let me in on their<a title="text game wedding plans" href="http://ironrealms.com/text-based-rpgs-five-things-to-think-about-before-getting-hitched"> wedding plans</a> (I guess a baby thrall in big, bad Sapience wasn’t really that much of a threat to the two proud knights).</p>
<p> </p>
<p> I remember being amazed that it was allowed. I think I recall asking, bluntly for all of my amazement, “But you can’t really be married, right? Isn’t that just a man and a woman thing?” The knights laughed, benignly, and told me that they’d be having the text game ceremony whether people liked it or not. Low and behold, a few days later, their HONOURS showed the marriage line clear as day (or to my vampire, dark as night!).</p>
<p> </p>
<p> It was incredible. Suddenly, a massive weight just fell off my shoulders in an inglorious heap, and I didn’t even know I was carrying it. My world expanded exponentially as I considered the possibility of someday having not a wife, a predetermined failed relationship with a woman just for the sake of having a family, but a husband, someone I could share my world with comfortably. Those two knights, whose names I sadly cannot recall, reshaped my young mind in ways that only IRE online RPG games could accomplish. I tried in vain to convince myself that it was just a text based roleplaying game and that men couldn’t marry men in real life.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Then my first male text game character married another male, and they lived happily ever after. I’m glad I wasn’t able to overthrow the dream, despite it being just a text game. Iron Realms Entertainment planted the first seed in my garden of gay rights activism, and I will never, ever forget it. Thank you, IRE, and thank you, New York! </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Shay Andrew is a text game enthusiast who plays addicting games at <a title="online roleplaying games" href="http://ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a>!</p>
http://www.ironrealms.com/text-rpgs-ny-allows-same-sex-marriage-after-text-games#commentsAddicting GamesGayOnline MarriageSame-Sex MarriageShay AndrewThu, 30 Jun 2011 18:14:59 +0000Aktillum of Achaea431 at http://www.ironrealms.comAddicting Games Feature Intense PvPhttp://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games-feature-intense-pvp
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<!--break--> By <a title="Text Games Author Adam A Burke" href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_A_Burke">Adam A Burke</a>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Addicting Games have Intense PvP</h3>
<p>&nbsp;Imagine a dimly lit room with the glow of a computer screen lighting up a pale-faced teenager, his glasses broken and sealed with tape in the middle. His eyes are fixated on some <a title="addicting games by IRE" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games">addicting game</a>, darting back and forth across his screen as scrolling text falls like the opening sequence of "The Matrix". His fingers fly across the keyboard and his heart pounds as he tries to keep up with the falling letters.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;This sounds like the opening sequence to a mid-90s hacker movie, but in reality this is a description of the scene behind the player versus player combat (or PvP) in many online text games. There are many reasons why this style of game can be so intense.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;The primary reason why online text games, in general, are so much fun is the unlimited capacity for creativity. In graphics-based games, there is a certain enjoyment in seeing your avatar swinging and striking at the opponent in front of you. But in an online text game, the administrators and players have so much more of an opportunity to be creative in their description and imagining of the various attacks. The brutality and the magical nature of some attacks in text based games cannot be translated into the graphic-based games, because most laws would force the game to be rated purely for adults. The creativity, while sometimes even crossing the "too-extreme" border, allows for a much more immersive experience.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h4>Text Games Require Intense Strategy</h4>
<p>&nbsp;A second reason why PvP experiences in text based games are so intense is the strategy involved in the combat system. Due to the technical nature of these text adventure games, players are given the option of scripting their own combat systems, referred to as “reflexes” so that they have an automatic response to the game for various forms of healing. This forces combat to happen at lightning-fast speeds that test user and computer ability to keep up.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;The final reason PvP in text games is so engaging is that vast library of skills, classes, races and strategies available to everyone. Unlike other types of games with hard-coded strategies that are always proven to work, combat strategy in online text games is always changing and one strategy may work as few times as once. All players are working to upgrade their systems and all players are working to stay ahead of these upgrades, and even the administration is constantly seeking a way to balance combat for all classes, while never allowing one or two strategies to dominate the game.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;In summary, PvP in online text games allows you to use creative, magical, violent attacks to win the fight. Though graphically-intense games give you that visual satisfaction, the ability to customize your own curing triggers, aliases, and macros let you get ahead of the text game on your merit, not on hopeful wishing for change. The hundreds of skills and endless strategies keep combat fresh and on-going. PvP is truly complex in the most addicting games.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you are interested in diving into some of the best PvP on the net, try out these great <a title="Iron Realms Text Games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">online text games</a> from Iron Realms.</p>
<p>Adam A Burke is a text game enthusiast and currently plays games from <a title="Iron Realms Text Adventure Games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">www.IronRealms.com</a></p>
<p>Article Source: <a title="Ezine Text Games Expert" href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_A_Burke">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Adam_A_Burke</a></p>http://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games-feature-intense-pvp#comments1v1 duelAddicting GamesMacrosPvP ArenaSkillsThu, 14 Oct 2010 22:12:52 +0000Avasyu of Imperian323 at http://www.ironrealms.comAddicting Games Top 5 FAQhttp://www.ironrealms.com/online-text-adventure-games
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<h3>Addicting Games FAQ</h3>
<p style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;The world of online text adventure games can be incredibly daunting for new players, especially first-timers with no experience with MUDs. Don't worry though – everyone started out as a clueless newbie at some point! Here's a list that answers some of the frequently asked newbie questions to give you an edge over your fellow text game players!</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong>"Why do I need to read so many help files? It takes so long!"</strong><br />&nbsp;It may take a while, but you'll be glad you decided to spend the time reading. The help files contain all sorts of useful tips and tricks written to help you learn how text adventure games work, and in most cases will likely solve most of the questions you have on any subject. When in doubt, always refer to the help files.</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;">Besides, they are online text adventure games – 99% of the time, you'll be reading, so this is a good place to start!</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong>"WHERE ARE ALL THE PICTURES???"</strong><br />As above, these are text adventure games. There are no pictures. In an age of increasingly graphics-focused gameplay, many potential players tend to get turned off by the fact that text games have no cool graphics to indulge your senses in. However, since MUDs don't have to deal with the limitations of graphics, the text based online worlds are much more diverse and imaginative. They have skills, abilities and descriptions that would never exist in a graphic game because they would be a nightmare to create, but in text based rpg games, the only limit is your imagination.</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;">When you have that, who needs pictures?</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong>"How do I earn gold?"</strong><br />&nbsp;There are a number of ways to earn gold in text games. The two most common ways are doing quests and killing monsters in the various hunting grounds. Generally, you should attempt to solve quests by yourself if possible. The satisfaction you get when you finally complete the quest is ten times better than getting the answer from someone else. If you get stuck, however, don't be afraid to ask for a hint from a fellow online text game adventurer! Most people will be more than happy to help out.</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong>"I'm completely lost. How do I find my way around?"</strong><br />&nbsp;Even though imagination is a good thing, when you're a brand new player and it's your first time all alone in the vastness of an online text game world, graphics probably look pretty good right about now. Don't despair though! Many text based games have simple maps for each area to help new players (and sometimes older players!) keep track of where they are. Just search the help files, ask other players, or check on their website.</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong><br /></strong></p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;"><strong>"Why can't I tell other players that I'm lagging or I had to take a call?"</strong><br />&nbsp;The whole point of text based rpg games is to play somebody you're not in real life. Your fantasy character Sir Bob, Bringer of Light, lives in a world of high magic and medieval settings, and has probably never seen a computer in his life – heck, computers probably will never exist in his virtual world! Thus, it wouldn't make sense for him to say things like 'Lol, I died just now because my Internet was lagging,' because a) Internet doesn't exist in his world, and what doesn't exist can't lag; and b) without the Internet, Internet-speak also doesn't exist. To anyone roleplaying with you, Sir Bob, Bringer of Light has just spouted a bunch of nonsense and probably needs his head examined by the nearest healer.</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;From a player's perspective, being OOC or 'out-of-character' really breaks immersion and takes the fun out of roleplaying for all parties involved in these text games. Imagine roleplaying the traditional Good versus Evil debate, fully immersed in your role – and suddenly, out of nowhere, your opponent says, "Brb phone," and the whole atmosphere within the text based rpg is destroyed.</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;This is a pet peeve of most players of text based games. Try to avoid being OOC if at all possible, and if you must explain why you couldn't be here for the battle of the century, say something like 'I had to make a pilgrimage to faraway lands' instead of 'I had to visit in-laws for the weekend'!</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you enjoyed this article you should jump into your own <a title="Iron Realms Text Adventure Games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">online text adventure games</a> right now.</p>
<p>Karin Chan is a text game enthusiast and currently plays games from <a title="Iron Realms Text Games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">http://www.IronRealms.com</a>.</p>
<p>Article Source: <a title="Expert Karin Chan" href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karin_Chan">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Karin_Chan</a></p>http://www.ironrealms.com/online-text-adventure-games#commentsAddicting GamesFAQKarin ChanMon, 04 Oct 2010 21:07:22 +0000Avasyu of Imperian299 at http://www.ironrealms.comAddicting Games Have Unspoken Ruleshttp://www.ironrealms.com/text-adventure-games-unspoken-rules
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<!--break-->By&nbsp;<a title="Author Zhade Barnet" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Zhade_Barnet">Zhade Barnet</a>&nbsp;and Jeremy B Saunders
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></p>
<h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Good Addicting Games Have Rules to Observe</span></h3>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;Usually, these will be stored accessibly within a&nbsp;<a title="Iron Realms Help" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/help">help</a>&nbsp;file, and newbies will be strongly encouraged to read them before they start. Don’t be put off; the rules in a&nbsp;<a title="text games by Iron Realms" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text game</a>&nbsp;aren't there to stifle your freedom, rather to allow you to play within a safe, enjoyable environment within the text games. But what about the other rules? You know... the ones that aren't in a help files? Yep, these are the unspoken rules, and they're just as important. This isn't a new concept; real life is full of unspoken rules and so are online text games. It isn't written, and nobody's ever said it to you, but it's acceptable to visit the beach in a bathing suit, but not the bank. You can hail a taxi to ask for a ride but not to ask for directions. You can flirt with your wife's mother but not her sister (maybe that's just me). Think of the difference between the spoken and the unspoken rules as the difference between law and culture. The unspoken rules of a text adventure game will vary between online&nbsp;<a title="addicting text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text games</a>, but there are some which will be common wherever you go. Here are some that I've learned the hard way so that you don't have to:&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><strong><br /></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><strong>1. Know the Concept</strong>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;As a ‘newbie’ you won’t be expected to know everything about the text game, or indeed very much at all. Nobody expects that you've read all of the lore (if the game you’re about to join doesn’t have an extensive lore, ask yourself why you’re playing it). What you will be expected to know is what kind of text game you’re playing. Don’t be surprised if nobody bothers to answer when you pipe up on the newbie channel of a high-fantasy game and ask whether you should use shotguns or grenades. Another facet is where the game sits on Player vs Player (PvP) combat/conflict and Player Killing (PK). You’ll make few friends in a low-PK game if your first action in the virtual world is to start stabbing other players. Equally, don’t expect any sympathy if you keep getting attacked by people if the whole point of the game is to stab other players (again, ask yourself why you are playing such a online text game). Seriously, find out where the game sits, because MUD text games can range from no PvP whatsoever to completely unrestricted PvP. If you can’t find out the concept/genre and what’s expected in terms of PK within about five minutes, then save yourself a lot of frustration and play something else.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><strong><br /></strong></span></p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h6><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><strong>2. Don’t Cross The Line</strong>&nbsp;in Text Games</span></h6>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;The line between YOU (“OOC” – Out Of Character) and your make believe alter-ego in the game (“IC” – In Character) is important. Now, if you’re looking for an RPG text game, then it’s probably because consoles have forgotten what that TLA (Three-Letter Abbreviation) stands for. Sadly, not everything you find when you search for ‘RPG text game’ involves role-playing in any meaningful sense either. If the game you’re considering expects you to be IC, screaming about the lag beast or the rising price of oil can really spoil an otherwise enjoyable and immersive experience for other players. That isn’t cool. If the game’s OOC, then be sure that that’s what you want, because bouncing in and speaking Olde English will result in you getting laughed at. GOOD text adventure games have very clear rules on this – the unspoken rule is that you should know what’s expected. And, folks, if it needs to be said, what happens on one side of the line stays on that side. Don’t punch your brother in the mouth over breakfast tomorrow morning because he didn’t share his loot with you on tonight’s dungeon run. Equally, if there are both IC and OOC channels in the online text game, please use them as such. Don’t come into the lobby screaming at somebody because of an IC grievance. Nobody wants to hear it. Again, a few minutes of research could save you many hours of grief.&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><strong><br /></strong></span></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><strong>3. Have Fun</strong>&nbsp;</span></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;Please, please remember it’s a game. It may be more interesting than your real life, but it’s nowhere near as important. If somebody’s harassing then either use the ignore function, or report it and log out until you’ve cooled down (don’t play ANY text adventure game that doesn’t have online moderators). If you’re fixing to toss your laptop out of the window after the hundredth time you failed that quest (I’ve been there) then maybe you’ve played enough for today. It’s a game, folks. Just an online text game. If it isn’t fun, then you may need to adjust your attitude, make a new character that better suits your style, or find another game. Life’s just too short. If you haven’t yet gotten into MUD text games then you’re just letting the finest things in life pass you by. There are so many online text games out there that you’ll find something to suit your every need and quirk. If you’re not sure where to start looking, then your first stop should be<a title="http://www.topmudsites.com" href="http://www.topmudsites.com/">http://www.topmudsites.com</a>&nbsp;- find out what people are voting for! Know the Concept, Don’t Cross the Line and Have Fun, and you’ll soon be enjoying the ageless, quiet craze that is text adventure games.</span></p>
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<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;If you are interested in addicting games then you should try out the Iron Realms&nbsp;<a title="Iron Realms Text Games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">online text games</a>.</p>
<p>Zhade Barnet is a player and text game enthusiast from&nbsp;<a title="addicting games by IRE" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">Iron Realms</a></p>
<p>Article Source:&nbsp;<a title="Ezine Expert Zhade Barnet" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Zhade_Barnet">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Zhade_Barnet</a></p>
http://www.ironrealms.com/text-adventure-games-unspoken-rules#commentsAddicting GamesGame RulesZhade BarnetTue, 28 Sep 2010 22:18:12 +0000Avasyu of Imperian276 at http://www.ironrealms.comRPG Text Games - What RPG Text Games Really Arehttp://www.ironrealms.com/rpg-text-games-what-rpg-text-games-really-are
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<!--break--> By <a title="Author Rebecca C Smith" href="/?expert=Rebecca_C._Smith">Rebecca C. Smith</a> and Jeremy B Saunders
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<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;Online text games are, behind the flesh, a hidden world - delving beneath the fabric of reality to create a place where your imagination can run wild. It is the heart of a character you have always dreamed of, the soul of energizing roleplay and the body of an addicting game world crafted by words alone. It is the eyes that see the world and its creations, the eyes that witness life changing events within the environment of the text game. It is the lips that frame the words you speak, and the entity that enables you the power of pitch, tone, rhythm and stress. It is the hands that wield mighty weapons of power, the hands that brew concoctions of good will and those which gesture peace or war. It is the feet that carry you into battle, those which tread throughout calm forests, harsh deserts and the freezing tundra. It is the mind you use to embrace your dreams, advancing through time with implemented strategies, plans and activities within these text games.</span></p>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></p>
<h3>How Can Text Games Be So Addicting?</h3>
<p>&nbsp;It is, to some, more than just an addicting game. What the text games have to offer on the inside is what makes the game real. As you follow your character throughout their lifetime, you can feel that sense of achievement as if you were there walking alongside them. You can feel each emotion endured by not only yourself, but those close to you in your family or within your circle of allies within these text based games. You feel a loss amongst friends or within the family as if they were your own, and you’ll feel fuelled by the anger or sadness of the situation to do something about it. The emotions that your character could portray really feel as if they come straight from the heart, and to me (as a frequent MUD gamer) RPG text games are not complete without that feeling.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;An online text adventure game can grow to be home for your imagination, because there really is an endless scope to explore within it. A wide range of character races within and options put you at the middle of a huge crossroads with hundreds of different roads to take. Each road has its own consequences, stories, histories and secrets waiting to be discovered. At the end of one road, you may feel as if it wasn’t the right choice, so you can walk back along it and take another, still retaining all the knowledge you gained along the way. No matter what your interests might be, there is always something for everyone to enjoy, pacifist or warmonger.</p>
<h3>&nbsp;</h3>
<h3>Iron Realms text games are the most&nbsp;<em>addicting games</em>!</h3>
<p>&nbsp;With that, a wide range of skills are available to gain a profession which you learn and eventually teach to others in most text based addicting games. Druid, Paladin, Necromancer or Assassin, hundreds of different classes, each with their own skill, will equip your character with the means needed to advance through life with protection and an armoury of offensive capabilities. Allies and enemies will be made, and you’ll soon find that you’re being enveloped into a world beyond your wildest dreams. Text based games aren’t just 'games' - they’re worlds, where you’ll feel as if you really do belong.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you are interested in learning more try out some great<em> <a title="Play IRE addicting games now!" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/game/play">addicting games</a></em>!</p>
<p>Rebecca C Smith currently plays the most addicting games from <a title="Iron Realms text games are addicting!" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games-the-10-commandments-of-steve-jobs-applied-to-ire">Iron Realms</a>.</p>
<p>Article Source: <a title="Ezine Expert Rebecca C Smith" href=" http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_C._Smith">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rebecca_C._Smith</a></p>http://www.ironrealms.com/rpg-text-games-what-rpg-text-games-really-are#commentsAddicting GamesDungeons & DragonsJack ChickRebecca C SmithRole-playing gameTractFri, 24 Sep 2010 22:36:43 +0000Avasyu of Imperian269 at http://www.ironrealms.comAddicting Games - Miniature Worldwide Communitieshttp://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games-miniature-worldwide-communities
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<!--break--> By <a title="Ezine Expert RA Pickett" href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RA_Pickett">RA Pickett</a> and Jeremy B Saunders
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<p>&nbsp;As it is found in the real world, online addicting games are filled with cities, towns, religious orders, churches, and social clubs (often referred to as clans) and even family lines that can occupy a player’s need for social interaction as well as learning opportunities. Many articles have been written to introduce readers to the concept of text games and how they function, how to play and to become part of an online world, but the purpose of this article is to show how a player is never alone unless he or she chooses.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;Cities and towns provide a sense of civic pride and community. Many have laws, a city belief system, and generally follow a way of life which the player chooses upon entering the online game. Since text games are usually based in fictional worlds, the cities are aligned as evil, neutral, good, peaceful, or nature. What remains important is that a player picks the city that best represents the character he or she creates. Of course a citizen may choose to leave his or her birth city for a new land; there is no law that prohibits the citizenship changes because a character may change his or her outlook, but these changes can come with some ease or some stress depending on your first choice of city-state to reside.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Choosing a City in Text Games</h3>
<p>&nbsp;Some may wonder why would choosing to leave the original homeland causes stress. It is nothing but a text game. Like any other move in life that is made in the real world offline, a move online will affect friendships, may divide families, and force the character to adapt to a new set of city laws and codes that do not reflect the birth city. All moves, though, do require some research and before a person decides to leave his or her homeland, it should be taken into consideration what losses and gains they will make. Some cities may no allow certain religious orders to live within their walls. Is the character willing to give up his or her religious order for the new life? Sometimes marrying another character will require a move if the player decides to live with his or her spouse in a new city. Yet, there are many successful marriages in the game and yes, in-game marriages are can be either opposite sex or <a title="same sex marriage" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/same-sex-marriage">same sex marriages</a>, where spouses live in allied cities, but follow separate lives. However, the travel between cities to see one another can cause added stress when family may be needed close.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;Truly, no one player can dictate how another chooses to live as long as he or she follows the rules of the organizations chosen. This is why many players are city-less or houseless, also considered rogue players, because they can move between all cities without any hindrance. That is to say the can move from city to city without a problem as long as they are not an enemy to a specific city or town. If the are an enemy, usually they will be hunted and killed. However, the rogue player is sometimes older and wiser and has lived in a few cities before embarking on his or her own. The rogue player will have already established ties in a house, order, family, clan, and have a base number of friends to keep from feeling lonely. It’s usually advised to wait until the character is established enough before embarking on a life of wandering city to city.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;Religious orders may appeal to some players. If this is what a player seeks they can find evil, good, neutral, and nature based orders to join. Again, like a city, orders may have prohibitions or rules that require you to live in a certain city or the god followed may patron a city and require followers to reside in the patron city. Often players will discover that most divine orders are rather neutral and they can move between city to city with no problem. Likewise, a character may discover that serving as a member in an order is prohibited from entering cities that have laws which contradict the divine order laws. It is always best to educate the character if one has to leave a religious order as it may not be pleasing to his or her Divine patron. Moreover, a religious order becomes like a family. Sometimes a departure causes anxiety because a player is bound to the laws and the oaths made to the order. Again, like any big change found in the outside world, such as a move or change of job, the same feelings of loss, remorse and healing which follows with the change will be experienced in game.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<h3>Finding Family in Addicting Games</h3>
<p>&nbsp;There is an often used quote that states, “You cannot choose your family, but you can choose your friends”. This is not always true in an addicting game. A wise player will take time before joining a family. In the MUD world, a player can choose who he or she wishes to have as a mother or father. Sometimes the parents are discovered in an instant. Of course, others may wait many years searching for a family that feels right. Moreover, there are others who feel that starting their own family tree and bloodline may be a wise choice and embark on that life choice. This allows for newer families to flourish and to connect with established families if a player chooses. As in the real world, a character may choose to marry or not marry. He or she may choose to have children or to never have children. The choices are entirely up to how the character and player evolve over time and game experience. No matter which choice is made, the player will experience the same sibling issues, fights, rivalries, camaraderie, that is found in the real world.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;Social clubs or clans are another part of the online experience. These clans may be divided by family name, racial choice, sex, sexual preference, interests, hobbies, or even for OOC (Out of Character) chat concerning game issues. Interaction with one another in these clans sometimes takes a cool head and patience as they may be very large and active, or very quiet and reserved for a select number of persons. As any other social club you may find in the real world, a player can quit a clan or never choose to join any other than house required clans. Sometimes players can be kicked out and made an enemy to a clan for bringing shame or not following the clan rules. Clans, like houses and cities, will often have a set of rules to follow and some are stricter than others. Those clans that are considered OOC have less rule and regulation, but still each player is deserving of respect. The key in any clan or organizational community is that self-respect and respect for the other go a long way.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;The fundamental issue here is to remember that how life is experienced outside in the ‘real world’ is often reflected in the online game world. While the addicting game may be a place of escape or a diversion, it is a world where players must learn the same life lessons they would learn while growing up outside of the game. While it may sound scary or even exciting, the reader is encouraged to learn, to grown, and to try creating an online persona and to learn how a life online really is just a miniature worldwide community. Furthermore, a player will discover is that self-respect and respect for the other go a long way. Know yourself and know that differences in player outlook and background will be different from yours. Understand that many friends online may come from other regions of a country within yours, from other continents, and even live in countries you never heard of before entering the game. What remains important is that while in-game you become citizens of the MUD world, and allow the differences to disappear as you learn from one another.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>If you like what you have read, try out some great <a title="Iron Realms Text Games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com" target="_new">text adventure games</a>.</p>
<p>RA Pickett is an avid text game enthusiast and currently enjoys games from <a title="Author RA Pickett" href="http://www.ironrealms.com" target="_new">www.IronRealms.com</a>.</p>
<p>Article Source: <a title="Ezine Expert RA Pickett" href="http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RA_Pickett">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=RA_Pickett</a></p>http://www.ironrealms.com/addicting-games-miniature-worldwide-communities#commentsAddicting Gamesonline worldRA PickettSame Sex MarriageTue, 21 Sep 2010 17:10:03 +0000Avasyu of Imperian267 at http://www.ironrealms.comText Based RPG - 10 Role-Playing Tipshttp://www.ironrealms.com/text-based-rpg-10-role-playing-tips
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<!--break--> By <a title="Author James K Woods" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_K_Woods">James K Woods</a> and Jeremy B Saunders
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<p>&nbsp;Unsurprisingly the most important feature to any <a title="text game" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text game</a> is simply the role playing. The name sums it up. In a RPG the player assumes the role, behavior and attitude of a character; talking, fighting and socializing with other player characters in such a way. The ability to interact with other adventurers is a primary element in <a title="text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com/text-games">text games</a>, all of which can be done by simple commands. However with anything that is new, role playing may be quite confusing at first. These 10 quick tips should hopefully clear things up and get you on your way.</p>
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<h3><strong>Roleplaying in Online Text Games</strong></h3>
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<p><strong>1. Race</strong><br />&nbsp;Before you even begin in a text based RPG you are given the option to choose the race you would like to play as. Remember that your race will tend to have an effect on your character's personality and role-play, for instance - the bigger "tank" races will tend to have a more macho, tough-guy personality. Not to worry though, most text RPG's will allow you a second chance to change your race should you feel the need to.</p>
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<p><strong>2. Put Pen to Paper</strong><br />&nbsp;Write out a character background. Character backgrounds are great for discovering new characters and serve as useful reminders for the player while role-playing. Most text games even allow you to post a character background online for other adventurers to understand your history and habits. Written as a short biography, these are very useful for those at a loss as to where to begin.</p>
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<p><strong>3. Emotions in Motion</strong><br />&nbsp;The great thing about text RPG's are the endless supply of easy to use emotes, which players often find useful while role-playing with &nbsp;other characters. From a simple smile to a suffocating bear hug, these emotions are here to enhance your role-playing, so use them!</p>
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<p><strong>4. Polite and Friendly</strong><br />&nbsp;When in character remember to be friendly and respectful to other adventurers. You will soon find that friendliness will be reciprocated, making role-play that much more enjoyable.</p>
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<p><strong>5. Remember to Stay in your Role</strong><br />&nbsp;Remembering to stay in character while online may be quite difficult with the latest film or song on the back of your mind. But it is necessary to stay in character, especially in public areas. Failure to do so ruins the authentic atmosphere for other players. Most text RPG's also have policies against out-of-character behavior which leads us onto tip number 6.</p>
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<p><strong>6. Read the Game Policies and any Other Help Material</strong><br />&nbsp;All text RPG's will have different rules and policies. Therefore it is a good idea to read through these to see what you can and cannot do, as well as any penalties associated with out-of-character behavior. In addition to this, most text games will also tend to have helpful materials on topics such as role-playing, so read them as well to gain a better idea on how to enhance your role-play.</p>
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<p><strong>7. We Want You!</strong><br />&nbsp;Most text based RPG's revolve around player organizations such as cities, communes and clans, each searching for new members daily. Within each city numerous roles will exist inside its structure which needs to be filled. Feel like commanding forces into battle? Or like the politics of becoming a city minister? There are always opportunities for role-playing within player run organizations. Some text based RPG's even have allow players the opportunity to marry and start a family by adopting other players as children. Assume the role of a parent, or the head of a great house. The possibilities are truly endless.</p>
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<p><strong>8. Be Seen</strong><br />&nbsp;Seen a role within an organization that you would like to fulfill? Or want more opportunities to role-play? Strengthen your chances by increasing your visibility around your world. People often ask for help and organizations often run mini-games or fundraising drives. By responding and participating in these you not only raise public opinion of your character, but you also get to meet new people, providing yourself with extra opportunities to role-play.</p>
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<p><strong>9. Think</strong><br />&nbsp;Think before you act. Your actions may seem pretty clever to you, but what about to bystanders? You may think that playing the role of a coarse drunkard may be quite amusing, but others may deem you as an annoyance. Being too melodramatic is also another cause of concern, don't overdo your role-playing. By thinking your actions through carefully, not only as yourself, but as a bystander, this problem should hopefully be overcome.</p>
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<p><strong>10. Look, Listen and Learn</strong><br />&nbsp;There always is someone else out there who is more experienced and knowledgeable than you are. Therefore it is advisable to learn and take examples from other character's role-playing styles. Advice is also another great thing as it gives you someone else's opinion. You will find that learning and taking advice from more experienced players will help you out not only in terms of role-playing, but in other areas of interest as well.</p>
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<p>Role-playing with a little practice, soon becomes second nature. These 10 quick, simple tips should hopefully make things easier and accelerate this process.</p>
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<p>If you are looking for a game to try your role-playing skills on, try out the following <a title="text games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">text games</a>.</p>
<p>James K Woods is a text game enthusiast and currently plays games from <a title="Iron Realms" href="http://www.ironrealms.com">IronRealms</a>.</p>
<p>Article Source: <a title="ExpertJames K Woods" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=James_K_Woods">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=James_K_Woods</a>&nbsp;</p>http://www.ironrealms.com/text-based-rpg-10-role-playing-tips#commentsAddicting GamesJames K WoodsOnline RoleplayingPen & PaperTabletop GamesThu, 16 Sep 2010 14:48:15 +0000Avasyu of Imperian266 at http://www.ironrealms.comText Adventure Games - Making New Friendshttp://www.ironrealms.com/text-adventure-games-making-friends
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<!--break--> By <a title="Ezine Articles Expert Chris J Spencer" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Chris_J_Spencer">Chris J Spencer</a>&nbsp;
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<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;Gamers are very social individuals, says a recent study by a UK university. Apparently, nearly half of us playing <em>addicting games</em> find it easier to make friends online and many of us go on to forge lifelong relationships with our in-game pals. It's great that the typical image of the lonely pale-faced gamer with only the dim flickers of a computer screen for company is disappearing, but we've always known how friendly we are, haven't we gamers? It doesn't matter whether you play MMORPGs or addicting games in text - we've been making buddies for decades.</span></p>
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<h3><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Making Friends in Online Addicting Games</span></h3>
<p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">&nbsp;So why is it so easy for us to make friends online? Well, the boffins say it's because we're able to express ourselves in ways that we could never do in real life. There's no better place to do this than in a MUD game. So you've always wanted to grow a beard and talk like a pirate but have never been able to? That's just the start of what you can do in a text game. And while graphical MMORPGs are constrained by things like hard-disk space and expensive production costs, text adventure games have been expanding without limitation. Whether you want to hop on a ship and steer while your friend hoists the sail, battle tirelessly against waves of monsters with your best comrade-in-arms, or just kick back in a tavern and drink a brew - the chances are a text-based game will have what you and your friend are looking for.</span></p>
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<p>&nbsp;No really, some of us have. Text games have been throwing unlikely people together since 1975, when actually seeing the virtual representation of your friend was just a dream. The text game veterans have forged friends that have spanned decades, been separated by oceans and even blossomed into love. Free text games provide a platform that anyone can step onto, meet like-minded people and explore boundless virtual worlds with new-found pals.&nbsp;</p>
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<p>&nbsp;And then, of course, there's the gossip. Just like chatting to neighbors at the local grocery store, MUDs breed all the fun of the grapevine. Did you see that so-and-so is engaged to so-and-so? Have seen that what's-his-name has a new sword? It's easy to forget that what you are seeing is text scrolling down a screen as you become totally immersed in a new and friendly world with no limits.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;On average, we spend around 23 hours a week in our virtual worlds, graphical or otherwise. Instead of spending that time hopelessly decimating the same monster over and over again until the little number next to 'level' goes up a point, why not try out what Iron Realms Entertainment has to offer? Their free text games offer the next step up in social experiences. Why not sit on a council of a city-state with your friends? How about banding together in a clan and dedicate to a cause? Or perhaps you would prefer to help run a guild with people from all over the world? There is no better way to meet new people or even strengthen existing friendships than to work as a team, just as you would in real life, co-operating and having fun.</p>
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<p>&nbsp;So, if making friends is what you are about and social experiences are what you look for in a game, perhaps you should consider a MUD. Just lose your inhibitions, dive in and be whoever you want. You never know, you could make a friend for life!</p>
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<p>If you are interested, try out these great <a title="IRE Text Adventure Games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com" target="_new">text adventure games</a>.</p>
<p>Chris Spencer is a text game enthusiast and currently plays the most addicting games from <a title="Iron Realms Text Games" href="http://www.ironrealms.com" target="_new">http://www.IronRealms.com</a>.</p>
<p>Article Source: <a title="Ezine Author Chris J Spencer" href="http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Chris_J_Spencer">http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chris_J_Spencer</a></p>http://www.ironrealms.com/text-adventure-games-making-friends#commentsAddicting GamesChris SpencerFriendsOnline ChattingThu, 02 Sep 2010 17:21:42 +0000Avasyu of Imperian255 at http://www.ironrealms.com